Folding chair.



No. 780,007. PATENTBD JAN. 10, 1905.

U. METTLER.

FOLDING CHAIR.

APPLIOATION FILED MAR. 4,1904.

UNITED STATES Tatented January 10, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

CASPAR METTLER, OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- v HALF TOROLLIN S. WOODRUFF, OF NEWV HAVEN, CONNECTICUT.

FOLDING CHAIR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 780,007, dated January10, 1905.

Application filed March 4, 1904:. Serial No. 196,492.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CAsPAI-i lVIn'rrLEn, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of New Haven, in the county of New Haven and State ofConnecticut, have invented a new and useful Improvement in FoldingChairs, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in folding chairs, and has moreparticularly for its object to provide certain improvements in theconstruction, form, and arrangement of the several parts of the foldingchair whereby the back of the chair may be locked in a plane at aforward angle to the plane of the pair of legs to which it is hingedwhen the chair is unfolded in position for use and which may be lockedin the same plane with the side pair of legs when the chair is folded.

A practical embodiment of my invention is represented in theaccompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 represents the chair in sideelevation in its unfolded position. Fig. 2 is a back View of the same.Fig. 3 is a view in side elevation of the chair in its folded position.Fig. 1 is a detail side view showing the chair partially folded. Fig. 5is an enlarged detail side view showing the position of the side membersof the back when the chair is in its unfolded position for use, and Fig.6 is a similar view showing the position which the side members of thetwo pairs of legs and the seat assume when the chair is folded.

The members of one pair of legs are denoted by 1, which members areconnected by one or more cross-pieces 2. The two members of the otherpair of legs are denoted by 3, and they are connected by one or morecross-pieces at. These two pairs of legs are crossed and hinged togetherabout midway their ends, as shown at 5.

The side members of the back are denoted by 6, and they are connected byone or more cross-pieces 7. The lower end of each of the side members 6of the back is hinged to the upper end of each of the side members 3 ofone pair of legs, as shown at 8. These ends of the side members 6 and 3are flattened and overlap each other. The back edge of the side member 6is provided with a recess 9, which is arranged to register with a recess10 in the back edge of the leg member 3 when the back member is swunginto a positionat a forward angle with respect to the plane of the legmember 3. The front edge of the leg member 3 is provided with a recess11, which is fitted to register with a recess 12 in the front edge ofthe back member 6 when the two members are in the same plane. Theswinging movement of the back member 6 is limited with respect to theleg member 3 by a pin-and-slot connection, in the present instance thepin 13 being shown on the back member 6 and the slot 14: in the legmember 3. These pins 13 in the present instance are formed by anextension of a cross-bar 15, which connects the lower ends of the backmembers 6 below their hinged connections 8 with the leg members 3.

The side members of the seat are denoted by 16 and are connected by aplurality of cross bars or slats 17. The front end of each of these sideseat members 16 is hinged at 18 to the upper end of a leg member 1 ofone pair of legs. The stud which forms the hinged connection between thefront end of the seat member and the leg member projects outwardly ashort distance and is fitted to enter the front recesses 11 and 12 inthe leg and back members 3 and 1 when the chair is folded for lockingthe parts in their folded position. The inner end of the side seatmember 16 is provided with a laterally-extended stud 19, which is fittedto enter the back recesses 9 and 10 in the back and leg members 6 and 3when the chair is unfolded for locking the back member at apredeteriinined forward an gle with respect to the plane of the leg1nemher 3. I preferably provide one or more travelers 20 along thebottom of the seat, which confine the seat upon the cross-bar 15.

When the chair is in its folded position, the back and one pair of legsare in alinement and the seat and other pair of legs are in parallelplanes at a very slight angle off the plane of the back andfirst-mentioned pair of legs.

In the present instance 1 have shown the side members of the two pairsof legs and seat as of angle-iron construction for giving great strengthto the chair, and the cross-pieces therefor may be made of wood or othersuitable material. The side members and crosspieces of the back areherein represented of tubular form for producing a very strong back forwithstanding especially hard usage.

What I claim as my invention is' 1. A chair comprising two pairs of legshinged together, a back hinged at its bottom to one pair of legs, meansfor limiting the swinging movement of the back with respect to its legs,the said back being permitted to assume a position in the same plane asthe pair of legs when the chair is folded and in a forwardly-tiltedposition with respect to said pair of legs when the chair is unfolded, aseat hinged to the other pair of legs and having a sliding engagementwith the back and means carried by the seat for locking the back in itsforwardly-tilted position.

2. A chair comprising two pairs of legs hinged together, a back hingedat its bottom to one pair of legs for permitting the back to be swunginto the same plane as its legs when the chair is folded and into aforwardly-tilted position with respect to the legs when the chair isunfolded, a seat hinged to the other pair of legs and having a slidingengagement with the back and means carried by the seat for locking theback at the limit of its movement in both directions.

3. A chair comprising two pairs of legs hinged together, a back hingedto one pair of legs, the corresponding back and leg side memhers beingprovided with recesses arranged in position to register when the back isswung into a forwardly-tilting position with respect to its pair oflegs, a seat hinged to the other pair of legs and a stud carried by theseat fitted to enter said recesses to lock the back in itsforwardly-tilted position.

4. A chair comprising two pairs of legs, a back hinged to one pair oflegs, the corresponding back and leg members being provided with pairsof front and back recesses, one pair of recesses being fitted toregister when the back is in alinernent with the legs and the other pairbeing fitted to register when the back is in a forwardly-tilted positionwith respect to the legs, a seat hinged to the other pair of legs andstuds carried by the seat for locking the back at the limits of itsmovements.

5. A chair comprising twopairs of legs hinged together, a back hinged toone pair of legs, a seat hinged to the other pair of legs, thecorresponding leg and back members having a pin-and-slot connection forlimiting the swinging movement of the back with respect to the legs, andmeans carried by the seat for locking the back in a forwardly-tiltedposition with respect to its legs.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed myname, in presence of two witnesses, this 23d day of February, 1904.

CASPAR METTLER. Witnesses:

FREDK. HAYNES, C. S. SUNDGREN.

